Forkrul Assail
The Forkrul Assail are an Elder Race. They used the Hold of Ahkrast Korvalain. History The Forkrul Assail were one of the founding races in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. They existed in isolation, interacting with other races through violent arbitration of conflicts, more accurately the annihilation of the involved parties. Physiology The Forkrul Assail were humanoid, although taller and thinner than humans. They possessed more joints in their limbs and hands, enabling them to bend their lower arms in all directions, a jointed sternum, large, solid black eyes and blue blood rather than red. Their skin was described as white as alabaster. It was said that their bodies were hinged as if they had two sets of hips and that whilst they could walk on two legs, they could also stand on fourThe Crippled God, Chapter 2, UK HC p.69. They were physically far more robust than humans, and appeared to be virtually un-killable through conventional means, healing from cuts and blows extremely quickly. They also possessed incredible strength, speed and agility, and were able to successfully combat several powerful opponents at once while sustaining only minor wounds. In addition, they had preternatural longevity and could live for millennia without food or water. Culture Forkrul Assail seemed to lack a collective culture, existing primarily in isolation. Generally, the Assail only seemed to gather to pass judgment and arbitration when requested by other races, though this arbitration seemed to take the form of killing all involved in the conflict. In fact, they had a fairly regimented hierarchical culture with the "Pures" (pure-bloods) at the top of the hierarchy, then with "Watered" (short for watered-down) next in level of authority and anyone lower down being essentially slaves. Their names reflected this obsession with arbitration. They used their voices to command their victims and communicated with each other telepathically. Their architecture was formed by tunneling into stone forming underground buildings, which mimicked the pillars and windows of above-ground buildings. The continent referred to as Assail was said to be the most dangerous place on the planet. Interactions with the Malazan Empire The Forkrul Assail had not interacted with the Malazan Empire until Tavore Paran and her Bonehunters decided to liberate the Crippled God. In House of Chains In the first appearance of a Forkrul Assail in the books, Karsa Orlong and his companions, Bairoth Gild and Delum Thord, released the Assail named Calm after thousands of years beneath an invested block. Subsequently, Calm attacked Karsa and inflicted a brain injury on Delum Thord, reducing him to a dog-like state. Calm escaped with ease. The second appearance found an Assail, Serenity, released from enchanted bindings. In Midnight Tides Serenity was attacked by Fear, Trull, Rhulad Sengar, other Edur tribesmen, and two Kenryll'ah demons. Serenity killed Rhulad before being driven off by the two Kenryll'ah who follow excitedly. In Reaper's Gale Beak told a tale about Tiste Liosan and Forkrul Assail fighting against each other in what they called the Just WarsReaper's Gale, Chapter 13. In Dust of Dreams The race reappeared, chasing a column of children known as the Snake. The children referred to them as the "Quitters", which was a bastardisation of "inquisitors". They started out as a group of twelve: five women and seven men, but were whittled down to just four. InThe Crippled God There was all-out war between the Forkrul Assail and Malazan forces. Known Forkrul Assail * Kilmandaros * Brother Abide * Brother Aloft * Sister Belie * Brayderal * Sister Calm * Brother Diligence * Sister Equity * Sister Freedom * Brother Grave * Placid * Repose * Sister Reverence * Brother Serenity Lawful Inquisitors * Inquisitor Sever * Brother Adroit * Brother Beleague * Sister Rail * Sister Scorn Trivia A Forkrul Assail body was found in Tremorlor, the Azath House in the Holy Desert Raraku. Notes and References Category:Forkrul Assail Category:Races Category:Founding races